In shipping containers for pre-mixed beverage and syrup products and other liquid products in which it is desirable to maintain sterile and safe conditions, it is highly desirable to employ pressure relief valves in the lids of such containers. In fact, it is a voluntary industry standard of the N.S.D.A. to provide pressure relief valves in soft drink or other beverage containers which will relieve 30 standard cubic feet/minute of carbon dioxide at a cracking pressure not to exceed 130 psig. This requirement or voluntary standard is to preclude over-pressurization of containers which could result in explosion and damage.
In designing such relief valves for this purpose, however, there are a number of criteria which such valves must meet in order to be acceptable. For example, it is highly desirable that such a relief valve be designed in such a way that it can be washed in commercially available washing equipment. For example, the top of the valve should be open to allow jets of hot liquid to enter the valve body and therefore clean and flush the inner components of the valve.
The housing of the valve, the valve poppet, seat and other components should be constructed such that no liquid can accumulate within the valve structure and encourage bacterial growth.
The valve should also be tamper proof such that any override of the normal relief function of the valve will result in the destruction thereof making it obvious that the container has possibly been adulterated or at the least, tampered with.
Finally, the valve should be compatible with the lid structure for such containers such that it can be integrally incorporated in the lid structure.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a new and novel pressure relief valve and lid structure for pre-mixed beverage and syrup containers and the like.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and novel pressure relief valve for beverage and syrup containers which is readily adaptable to sterilization and which will be self draining when subjected to the action of sterilizing fluids.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel pressure relief valve for pre-mixed beverage and syrup containers which is integrally formed in the lid of such containers and which is tamper proof.
These and other objects of the present invention will become more fully apparent with reference to the following specification and drawings which relate to preferred embodiments of the invention.